Daddy's Fallen Angel
by Chl0eChandler
Summary: Hotch has been feeling lonely since Haley's passing but not in the way of a lover; just someone who can fill that hole in his heart. But then, a suspect joins the bureau unexpectedly. A girl no more than sixteen years of age; unknown and non-existent.
1. At a loss

It started after his ex-wife's death had gone by; funeral and all, and his son Jack staying with his aunt Jessica while he remained at work in the Bureau. It was at that time when he pulled himself together and just carried on, no matter how much he missed Haley and though there was that little piece of emptiness inside him that made the question arise... _'What am I missing?' _He sighed and placed down his pen in irritation; unsure of why he couldn't grasp the entire span of his attention and focus it toward completing the reports assigned by Strauss as well as the case reviews. The silence seemed to get to him, and without the fan spinning on the ceiling with that constant but gentle buzz it would bother him even further. It's like it was going to consume him once he willingly obeyed and yet he chose not to as of yet; rather confusing even for him. His musing was immediately on hiatus when Rossi came into view of the window with a thin folder, urgency ringing in his aged and determined eyes. Out of curiosity, Hotch reached to stand from his seat but Rossi and Reid beat him to it by barging through the door. "Hotch, we've got a suspect in custody." said Reid.

Hotch's brows furrowed in confusion as he placed himself into his stand; showing authority above all else. "What suspect? Why didn't you tell me there was a case?"

Rossi shook his head, "There's no case. A girl was found in a closet just by the elevator and tried running through the Bureau. Morgan managed to hold her down long enough to put her in the interrogation room."

"It turns out someone may have snuck her in, but because of her reaction to the surroundings she didn't seem to take it too lightly and so she seemed to go into a rather large panic." said Reid. "She may have been unconscious when she was brought in so that's why she doesn't seem very familiar in any way whatsoever."

Hotch frowned slightly, confused even further. "Why would someone sneak her in?"

The senior and younger agent both shrugged. Reid spoke first. "No one knows; we pulled Garcia in to look at camera footage but none show the girl even coming in. I think either a fellow agent in the Bureau or a visitor or someone we may possibly have seen in the building has some sort of grudge or pleasure-seeking in this sort of activity so the fact that he or she could sneak the girl in makes them feel like they're in control of the situation. And by avoiding all cameras; they have that advantage of not getting caught."

Hotch nodded, processing this new information like no tomorrow. "And the girl; what did you find out about her?" he asked.

Rossi sighed, "All we got out of her when it came to communication is the shake of her head; meaning no. And she keeps yelling that word whenever we seem to step within three metres of her. She seems really scared, Hotch. And it turns out that she has no record when it got close enough to get a sample of DNA. Garcia couldn't find anything on this girl; it's like she doesn't actually exist."

"Almost one in three of all babies who are born across the world annually are not registered each year." said Reid. "These children do not have a birth certificate and, legally speaking, do not exist. Globally, there is an estimated two hundred and twenty million children under the age of five across the world whose birth is not recorded. That excludes China, where figures are unknown. Maybe this girl is one of those not recorded. But where she's from? We don't know. We still have yet to figure that out."

Hotch nodded once again and sighed through his nostrils; shaking his head slightly before leaving the room. Rossi followed him. "Aaron?"

"I need to see this girl." was his only reply.


	2. Encourage

Morgan sat in the interrogation room with the girl; standing in one corner of the room while she was curled up in a ball opposite. He sighed in disappointment; he couldn't manage anything other than a small whimper or a loud "NO!" whenever she was near him or anyone for that matter. She seemed utterly frightened of everything and everyone around her, like she knew nothing of the world and what could possibly hurt her... or worse yet, kill her. Reid stood inside the doorway as Hotch passed by to enter along with Rossi. But in the end, Reid had his own thoughts on the situation._ 'She looks so scared... I feel like we're the lions while she's in the den.' _he thought to himself in sadness. He stared on to the girl who hid her face in between her pale arms with her knees layered on edge with her dark, thinned and greasy hair like a knob on post. Rossi thought along the same lines; the fact that she looked so entirely vulnerable made him regret even thinking of locking her in what now seems like a cage, even to him.

"Anything else I should know about this?" asked Hotch.

Reid nodded. "From what I've just seen, you need to stay a good few steps away from her and wait for her to get used to you. Morgan can barely go near her as it is, but because you're a father and know about children more than the rest of us (even with my eidetic memory) it's best if you do it rather than anyone else."

Rossi joined in, "It is crucial that you use your parenting skills, not your authority, for her to open up. But because none of us have parenting experience other than JJ who has Henry, and she is vacationing as we speak with her family, you are the only option and being able to reach out to her."

Hotch nodded before the door opened, Morgan exited and Hotch took his place. When Hotch entered the room, he didn't know at all what to think. All he saw was in fact completely the opposite of a suspect of any kind. Her chocolate hair cut to be shorter in length by ending at the base of her neck at the back but gradually longer by an inch more so at the front was thin, messy and greasy like oil on a rusty bike chain. Her sickly pale skin made the moon seem tanned and bruises could be located almost everywhere on her bony limbs. It was like she was starved while imprisoned for what appears to be the whole of her life. She didn't move, heck she didn't even look like she was even BREATHING. A statue made of pain and vulnerability; fear and weakness.

He remained silent as he absorbed the entire picture, every freckle and spot and bone that was part of her. But he couldn't, no matter how willingly, because an itch was building in the back of his throat. Trying as much as possible not to startle her, he gently coughed but needless to say there was a squeak of a gasp and in the corner of his eye he saw more skin than before. Her face. Facing her more than beforehand, he saw her scuttle away even further into the corner; needing protection of some sort and it seemed to her that space did just what she wanted. If more so; it was what she needed.

He saw, possibly, the most beautiful little girl he could have ever known. no, not because of any facial features in general... but her eyes. They were an icy shade of blue decorated with a visible white in centre; shape like a snowflake fresh in the winter as it cascades to the earth. He never knew that eyes could actually exist in that way, he's seen pictures except they were photo-shopped for quality and improvement. Yet this girl was different he knew by extinct that her eyes were real. True, any girl is beautiful in shape and form, but this girl was (physically) devastatingly ill from the way she moved away from him without even bothering to take a stand or make noise; but her eyes told an entirely different story.

But the only thing he could actually do, rather than try to speak to her, was sit in the chair by the table that was moved to give the girl some secure and calm space. He also reminded himself that if he was going to wait for her to be able to open up to him, he might as well keep himself entertained. It turns out that he had a deflated rubber ball that he always puffed up for Jack when they played a game of "throw the ball" indoors. He huffed and puffed to inflate it, and by the time he had finished he failed to notice the curiosity enlightening in a pair of snow-eyes in the other corner. He removed himself from the chair, tucked it in like the tidy and organised man he was, and sat on the floor so he could cross his legs while rolling the ball between his hands. It was a rather funky ball too; blue with white stripes and green dots. It certainly seemed to spark the girl's interest as she slowly, VERY slowly, opened up from her self-formed cocoon. And, even more slowly, she crawled her way a bit closer to him, her eyes completely focused on the ball.

Hotch tried as much as possible to avoid the twitching in his lips as he saw the movement in the corner of his eye.


	3. Promise?

Hotch seemed to be making more progress than everyone else put together. Morgan watched, jaw dropped and eyes wide. Reid with his arms crossed over his chest in fascination with the way she had such fluid movement even though she made her way very slowly. Rossi watched in concentration, much like Reid but in a different way; more of a stud of how Hotch wasn't even trying and yet she took the first step. Emily stood beside Morgan, linked in arms to seek comfort. Garcia watched through the camera in her office; almost in tears at the sight of her and thinking of why anyone would want to even think of laying a hand on this poor child.

But Hotch? He was the most affected of all. All he did was roll the ball, and it seemed like that was the only thing that made her want to bring herself into the world of reality. The colours blurred in movement, and neither noticed how quickly the distance closed until Hotch turned to meet her directly in the eye. Immediately after contact was made, she shrunk back rapidly into the corner.

From outside, they saw something instantly as soon as they met in eyes; a connection of some sort. "What was that?" asked Rossi.

"I'm pretty sure even I don't know the answer to that, Rossi." said Reid, "But... I think Hotch has a mutual understanding with her."

"That must be why she's calmer. Maybe she knows she can trust him." replied Morgan.

Reid nodded, now getting excited. "Exactly! By using a parent's encouragement instead of the authority as Unit Chief, he is able to crack the first layer of the girl's shell. In a way, it prevents her from being alarmed... Truly fascinating how the mind processes everything..." Rossi and Morgan looked to each other before shaking their heads at Reid's weird fascination for the human brain; and Garcia and Emily remained focused.

"How's he doing that?" asked Garcia through an earpiece. "He's only rolling the ball."

"And that's what makes her so calm..." said Reid. "The ball was the key..."

From inside the room, Hotch managed a small smile to the girl who looked at him with curious, wide eyes and lips practically sewn together. He thought about giving the ball to her, but he wanted to try something slightly different. "Would you like to play?" He got no response; not verbally. But physically? She hesitated but a little nod of the head was seen. With an even warmer smile, he faced her as she seemed to crack open her walls once more... and gently rolled the ball to her. Rapidly, she caught in her hand, fondling it with gentle touches like a feather grazing against silk. Her icy orbs were so focused on the ball that she was rather reluctant to roll it back to Hotch. He noticed this, and it made him chuckle softly. He almost regretted it had he not sent her back into the corner slightly before he rolled the ball back to her; across the cold floor. The second time was slightly easier. She only held it for a few seconds before rolling it to Hotch once again, and he pushed it back without question.

This was how they both stayed for the next hour or so, just rolling the ball to each other in the calmness of the silence. For Hotch, he could see a rather large improvement; one he couldn't even class as a miracle being even part of it. He could easily notice the turning of thoughts through her eyes; the shallow and rapid breathing that was almost invisible before had now been relaxed and smooth, deep in intake and exhale. Her legs were crossed over like a five year old child on their first school day while sitting on the carpet and listening to their teacher telling a story. Maybe he could try something else? He thought to himself about it for a few moments as he kept rolling the ball to her and receiving it in return.

He knew that she was calm, so he took the risk and inched closer to her every few seconds; letting her get used to the slow decrease of the distance between them. She was hesitant the first few tries but she was definitely much calmer than when he first entered the room. And it didn't take too long before he was sitting literally in front of her; both with crossed legs, the ball directly between them and an intense gaze was shared between them once again.

But this one lingered on...

She didn't bother to fall back; instead she rose to sit on her legs, a kneeling position of some sort with her feet under her buttocks. With delicacy, her hands rose to stroke his cheeks. He was definitely surprised but he let her explore willingly. He knew it would take some getting used to being touched this way, but somehow... he found it soothing, the way her hands grazed over his skin like a floating dance, so smooth and light. From outside, eyes were at their widest; but none could match the feeling inside of Hotch's chest; some sort of warm pain, like a longing of some sort. Maybe this was what he needed? Someone to try and understand?

Yes, that was what he needed. Someone who, not a co-worker, would actually understand his troubles and talk to him... okay, maybe not TALK in particular but just someone who would listen without turning away.

The hands dropped from his cheeks to his own, fingers gliding lightly over his. Sensing what this girl wanted to find out, he lifted both of his hands for her to slide her palms into his own. It reminded him of the scene with Tarzan and Jane in the Disney movie; where Tarzan found out that Jane was just like him. Maybe this girl was trying to see the difference; but was there any? He instantly knew his answer when her palms opened, a high-five position but skinny fingers curled over, holding his hands in place. By instinct, he instantly curled over his own. And... in a way, it was like a special bond was developing between them.

But the moment was ruined, and rather rudely.

"Agent Hotchner!" a lady's voice yelled out as the door was barged open. It turned out to be Strauss, the Section Chief. The girl was frightened by the suddenness, backing away into the corner hoping for some kind of protection, like she couldn't trust anything or anyone after then. "What is the meaning of this?!" she yelled once again.

Hotch instantly went to yell back in anger, but a small whimper made him turn to see tears ready to fall through the young girl's fearful eyes; an innocence that only a young child could possibly bare and it made him keep his calm before turning to her with a stern look. "Chief Strauss, you cannot just barge in like that. You're scaring her." he said as softly as possible. "This girl is having enough trouble trusting anyone as it is, and I was just making progress when you had to barge through the door. Had you not come in so rudely, this girl would have been able to trust me enough to tell me her name."

When she realised the situation; she looked to the little girl who looked about ready to cry out in fear. Instantly... she regretted. "I am so sorry, Agent Hotchner. If I had known the whole story, I wouldn't have done so ill." Hotch sighed before he nodded and asked her to leave the room without much sound. She willingly did so.

He returned to his seating position from before Strauss' rude barging and the girl looked at him expectantly. He smiled gently before reaching his hand out to her, "Don't worry, sweetheart. You're safe with me..." Slowly she looked down to his hand. He expected her to retreat again in fear of being disturbed again; almost like punishment for even thinking of such an idea, but instead she went to grasp his hand in both of her own.

"Promise...?" a small, cracked voice came out from between those dry lips. Let's just say that everyone, and I mean EVERYONE was shocked at the gentleness, the angelic touch of such a voice... She spoke...

And the only thing he could reply with...?

He nodded. "I promise."


	4. Box of Cookies

Later that day, Hotch sat at his desk with great struggle as he tried exhaustedly to focus on the task at hand; reviews for Strauss. But all thoughts and motions were turning to the road that lead straight to her. After a few more minutes of helping her gain some vocal strength, she appeared brave enough to actually try and step out of the room. Sure, she didn't want to be near anyone else because, at the moment, she only trusted him, and she was rather attached as she clung onto him for life.

Surprisingly, Strauss was concerned for the child and not how everyone was working with her; pretty much like a mother with her own children. She managed to take a closer look but only through a distance after the fright she gave the poor girl and used most of her heart to be protecting her by keeping a few yards away at minimum. Reid was as fascinated as before, if not even MORE than the other scientific matters he was interested in. But not for a scientific solution; no. He was learning as a person, not an agent, about the child; with the way she moved, explored with her eyes and everything that lead to curiosity. Morgan, somehow, felt protective of her; kind of like an uncle somehow. And yet she wouldn't even allow him to set foot in the same room without a slight fear building in the air around them. Garcia was excited for her, going on with Emily about taking her to the mall and getting some shoes and clothes so she would like a beautiful model on a dance floor. Rossi was along the same line as Strauss; concern.

But Hotch? He didn't know what to think, but he definitely felt something inside him turning whenever she gazed up to him with those spectacular snowflakes for eyes. When they entered his office, she immediately took in every nook and cranny of the room. She first ran to the window and played the yellow blinds, learning about how they flipped and changed sides to allow the sunlight to slip through. Secondly she scanned the shelves of books; Jeffery Deaver's 'The Bone Collector', 'Lord of the Rings' trilogy, 'Wind in the Willows', and 'Chronicles of Narnia' to name a few. She mumbled under her breath with the gentle graze of her fingers over the book bindings that collected some dust after no use of reading them. Lastly, she explored his desk; the name tag reading 'AARON HOTCHNER', the pot of pens and pencils and the neatly stacked folders with the FBI logo.

He smiled as he sat in his desk chair; admiring her curiosity. Jack never came in his office, he rarely had time, and no one else had lack of respect by going through his privacy. And yet, the girl didn't need to ask for permission, he didn't bother to stop her either.

She pulled out 'The Fellowship of the Ring' from the shelf and fondled the front cover; a design of the ring with the tongue of Mordor written inside and outside the outline of the golden hoop. She looked to him expectantly, and he was touched by the silent request for permission. "Go ahead, sweetheart. You can read it if you want."

All too eagerly, she opened it to the first chapter; A Long-expected Party.

_"When Mr. Bilbo Baggins of Bag End a-announced that he-he would shortly b-be celebrating his e-eleventy-first birthday with a party of spe-special mag-e-nificence, t-there was much talk and excitement in Hob-bit-on. B-Bilbo was very rich and v-v-very peculiar, and had been the w-wonder of the S-shire for sixty years, ever s-since his re-remarkable di-disappearance and un-expected return."_

Hotch listened intently to every word; obviously she stuttered a few times to get the hang of reading aloud but it seemed as though she may or may not have heard of the story before and so she could be familiar with the wording. She sounded educated enough, but that wasn't the surprising part of it. It was the fact that when she read... she felt secure with herself that she could actually do something on her own like everyone else. Soon enough, she was so used to the reading of familiar as well as unexpected words that she no longer stuttered with uncertainty.

_"Frodo was waiting on the step, smiling, but looking rather tired and worried. He welcomed all the callers, but he had not much more to say than before. His reply to all inquiries was simply this: 'Mr. Bilbo Baggins has gone away; as far as I know, for good.' Some of the visitors he invited to come inside, as Bilbo had left 'messages' for them."_

They both were so lost in their own little bubble, the girl reading to him and Hotch just listening eagerly, absorbing every syllable, utter and whisper escaping her dry lips, but the passion was there. There was a passion in her reading from the book he knew; one he heard from Jack only a few times before when he received little videos from Haley to check up on them. But now that Haley passed and he saw Jack even though he was growing up, he hardly heard it still. But when she read out to him, he knew the passion was there, and it was a fresh blossom just waiting to bloom for the new turn of season.

A knock was heard and Hotch went to open it, but small hands suddenly gripped on to his suit jacket and held him back for a brief moment. He looked down at her; she reached his shoulders in height, and smiled down at her and saying "It's okay sweetheart, you're safe with me. I promise." With a moment's silence, she nodded and forced her body closer to him in a necessary and secure embrace. He was touched and swung an arm around her to make her feel certain and opened the door for his eyes to widen. Straus... again...

At the sight of her, the girl hid her face into his chest and whimpered. Strauss looked slightly hurt but nonetheless held out some sort of coloured tin. Then he realised what they were... cookies. "I thought... because of how inappropriate my behaviour was, I thought I'd give her something she might like. Plus, she looks skinny so she might be hungry, this will be a good starter for her."

"So you think cookies will make up for the large scare you gave her?" asked Hotch in surprise as well as anger.

She shook her head, "No, but it's a start. These cookies so happen to be the best batch on sale from the town where I grew up. I bought them the other day and haven't opened them yet because of everything at work, and they were always a child's favourite when I was growing up."

Hotch stared intently, searching for something else but found nothing. He felt a slight shift in his chest; the girl looked at Strauss blankly, calmly, before stepping forward to her and looking down at the box before her. Strauss smiled gently, a lovely smile it was, and held the box more forwardly for her. "Go ahead, you can take it. Help your self."

Slowly, she took the lid from the box of cookies, and the sight of them made her eyes widen, mouth go watery and a large growl could be heard. The girl blushed as it happened to be her stomach, and Hotch laughed gently; she grabbed onto his sleeve in a sudden excitement and pointed to the box. His eyes then gleamed brightly. They certainly looked delicious. They were chocolate and round, with three layers worth of thick and dark chocolate icing on top with a very thin layer of icing sugar on top. In fact, they looked so good that his stomach started to rumble too... he then remembered he had not eaten lunch.

Strauss smiled and shook her head gently once more. "Don't worry, Aaron." She held up two bags out of nowhere. "I already went into the kitchen and made lunch for the both of you too. The cookies are just a bonus. Obviously, I know your favourite sandwich is lettuce, ham and cucumber so I made that for you. As for her, I didn't know what to make so I did strawberry jam. Also, I added a selection of juice cartons for her and a coffee for you."

He didn't know what to do other than smile and whisper a small 'thank you for your help'. "I appreciate this, Erin. Really, I do."

She shrugged modestly. "What can I say? When you have kids, you've got to learn something." With a laugh, the girl managed a smile and held the box of cookies with the lid placed back on top. The three of them then joined the lounge where Reid, Garcia, Morgan, Rossi and Prentiss sat with their cups of coffee and boxes of lunch, talking about how Morgan is the 'Chocolate Thunder' with a-talk and no-action.


	5. Speak a bit warmer

_Lenika08: _

_Gracias, agradezco su opinion. Y si, yo aprendo espanol pero lo siento que no soy fluido. Sin embargo, estoy mejorando con la practica. Una vez mas, muchas gracias. __Ademas, si desea que los derechos para traducir; sentirse libre, siempre y cuando todo el mundo sabe que era originalmente por mi._

**_ROUGH TRANSLATION FOR THOSE WHO DON'T SPEAK SPANISH: Thank you, I appreciate your opinon. And yes, I learn Spanish but I'm sorry I'm not fluent. However, I'm getting better with practise. Again, thank you very much. Also, if you would like the rights to translate; feel free as long as everyone knows it was originally by me._**

**_And thank you to everyone else who has viewed and liked this story so far. Please keep sending your views. All guests, please keep reviewing whether or not you like how this goes and I shall carry on, hopefully improving._**

**_Also, I have been learning Italian for the past month so there will be Italian features in here._**

* * *

><p>It started out as a rather quiet lunch. The girl obviously sat right next to Hotch because, obviously, she trusted him more than anyone else. When she spoke, it was only with quiet mumbles that only Hotch understood. Officially, he became her sort of Knight in Shining Armour; protector and guardian, saving the Damsel in Distress from all danger in the world.<p>

Reid and Morgan, along with Garcia and Prentiss, tried getting her to warm up to them with little progress. JJ still had yet to return. She said hello to Reid and Garcia, and Emily and Morgan received a warm smile with a little wave. They were all touched by her little antics.

But Rossi? He sat with the laptop, trying with much effort to find out who to dedicate his latest work to. He was utterly stressful and didn't know what to write. Everyone noticed, even the girl who seemed curious at his irritated manner. Suddenly, he slammed the laptop, startling everyone. "... all'inferno con la mia vita."

Of course, no one, not even Reid, knew what he was saying considering his native Italian, but a soft feminine voice spoke out of the blue. "Qual e il problema, signore?"

None were more surprised than Rossi, he didn't know ANYONE in the Bureau who spoke Italian other than himself. Wanting to test his theory, he indulged in an Italian conversation with her. "Non riesco a scrivere la dedizione per il mio manoscritto."

She nodded, "Ah... qual e il libro?" she asked.

"Si tratta di ossessione per il Diavolo. Un uomo si perde in una allucinazione; credere che egli e sotto il servizio di Satana." He shrugged and exasperation. "Io proprio non so chi dedicarlo a."

"Hai provato solo dicendo perche hai scritto questo libro? Non ha bisogno di essere dedicato a una persona, potrebbe essere un evento personale o occasione che potrebbe aver innescato questo libro." she replied.

Rossi sat quietly and thought for a few moments and looked at the laptop screen again before his eyes beamed as bright as his smile. "Ho un'idea! Grazie!"

The girl smiled and gently murmured, "Prego."

Everyone just stared at the pair of them; jaw dropped and gobsmacked. Rossi saw this and just shrugged, "She obviously speaks Italian."

"What about Spanish?" asked Emily.

The girl smile and nodded. "Si, me encanta hablar espanol. Es uno de los muchos idiomas que ensene a mimismo crecimiento."

"En cuantos idiomas sabes?" asked Emily.

The girl shrugged. "No lo se. Digame usted."

Emily's eyes widened further, and clearly, so did Hotch's. "How many languages does she speak?" he asked.

"She said she doesn't know, she taught herself all the languages she currently speaks when she was growing up. I guess from all the reading she learnt for herself through that and maybe through some peers she met while growing up." she replied. "But VERY gifted!" she praised.

The girl blushed and gave a small whisper. "Gracias."

Emily smiled, "You're welcome."

* * *

><p><strong><em><strong> TRANSATION<strong>; conversation between girl and Rossi._**

**_Rossi; To Hell with my life._**

**_Girl; what is the matter, sir?_**

**_Rossi; I can not write a dedication for my manuscript._**

**_Girl; Ah... what is the book about?_**

**_Rossi; It is about obsession with the Devil. A man is lost in a hallucination; believing that he is under Satan's service. _****_I just do not know who to dedicate it to._**

**_Girl; _****_Have you tried just saying why you wrote this book? It does not need to be dedicated to one person, it might be a personal event or occasion that could have triggered this book._**

**_Rossi; I have an idea! Thank you!_**

**_Girl; You're welcome.)_**

* * *

><p>After Hotch had finished his reports; and the girl warmed up to everybody at an eventual rate; he decided to bring her home to his house. Obviously, Jack was with Jessica because of work, but it felt good to have someone stay over in his house with him. It kept him company in a way, and it was rather relieving. He felt a happiness unlike any he had before and it was definitely welcomed by him. "Okay, well..." he said to cut through the silence as he placed his keys in a bowl and let her pass by through the hallway. "Make yourself comfortable..." She scanned the house with eager eyes, much like what she had been doing for a few hours earlier that day. And like before, she absorbed every nook and cranny of every wall, ceiling, carpet and corner. "Well, I don't know if you like specific foods or anything so maybe we could have takeout for dinner. How do you feel about pizza or Chinese?"<p>

The girl turned to him and shrugged, smiling softly. "Pizza, please..." she murmured. "I can't eat Chinese, it upsets my stomach."

Hotch nodded, "Pizza it is, then." And he placed his suit jacket on a hook. "Well, feel free to sit down while I just go change." he said, turning to go upstairs before he stopped. He realised... _'Crap, she doesn't have any decent clothes... Those rips can't easily be mended!'_

He rushed back into the living room where the girl sat quietly, tapping her fingers on her knees; though bruised, she still tapped like it didn't bother her. "Sweetheart, you're going to need some spare clothes for tonight. I'm sorry I didn't say anything sooner, I-"

"No, it-it's okay. You don't have to apologise. I never had much of a style anyway." Though she spoke expertly, she still had that sweet shyness about her, the one where she'd develop such a confidence that no one could ever change once it reached out to the surface. He smiled... he never knew how she was so understanding, but he still felt a little guilty because of lack of decency.

He shook his head with a smile, "Let me at least find a shirt or something for you." And before she could answer, he ran up the stairs, changed and brought down an extra-large shirt - big enough for her to wear as a dress or night-gown or something. It was a short-sleeved plain blue shirt, dark and thick in design with little light-blue stripes going across the chest. "Here, you can put this on; it might keep you a bit warmer."


	6. Dinner, my place

That night, Hotch cooked dinner while the girl read her new books; Lord of the Rings. He knew from what he had seen (and profiled) that she would enjoy it so he gave her the books from his shelf in his office, glad she was treasuring it. The aroma of the food was the only prevention of distraction and kept him focusing on the task at hand rather than the girl herself. In a way, he was more than happy to take her in, but it was not out of pity; more out of need than anything else. Somehow, she made him beyond happy with just a smile and a single glance from this icy orbs. He felt protective, yes, but who wouldn't? Even though he only met her this morning, he already felt protective of her like she was a priceless gem. Kind of like a father-figure, maybe one she never had. Maybe that's why she trusted him... he was so understanding.

He still didn't know entirely what to think of the situation.

As he finished stirring the pasta, tasting it to test the flavour and if it was ready or not, he smiled in completion before he realised probably the most important thing yet. He didn't even know her name. _'What could it be?'_ he thought to himself. _'It can't be Kylie; too much like the singer in name but she is completely the opposite... Jordan?' _he shook his head._ 'No, too disco.' _As he thought about the names, he was too lost inside his thought and cooking to realise how the girl was attracted to the delicious smell of Italian Bolognese and spaghetti with a slight hint of parsley, a pinch of salt and half a small glass of chopped mushrooms, the red sauce bubbling and sizzling in the pan with such a welcoming scent. Using her nose she sniffed to where the aroma had come from and looked over to see what he was cooking.

He didn't see her until he felt a slight brush of cloth behind him and saw how she suddenly began to stir the sauce; turning down the cooker. "What are you doing?" he asked. "I thought you were reading your book."

She nodded. "Yes, sir. I was. But the smell was delicious... However, you're missing something."

He barely scrunched his eyebrows before she was skiving through the cupboards. "You can cook, too?"

She nodded. "Yes, sir. But I always gave my food away. I couldn't stand letting others starve before me, so I'd give it away; hoping they felt better." When she found what she was looking for, she smiled. "Ah, yes! Perfect!" With the bottle in hand, she sprinkled a few doses od the dark liquid before stirring the sauce. "A little red wine and it should be perfect." She lifted the wooden spoon to him for a taste. "Try it. I guarantee you'll love it."

Unsure, he blew gently on the sauce before taking a mouthful. Savouring the taste, he caught a slight sizzle of the pepper he normally added, but the difference was the texture; it turned out to be better than anything. The adding of the red wine added juiciness, heightened for enjoyment and it made his taste buds tingle in delight. His eyes widened at the new flavour and a smile crinkled its way through. "Oh my god." he muffled without spraying any red sauce from his lips. "This is amazing!"

She smiled proudly. "I thought you would like it."

"By the way," he started when he swallowed the delicious sample. "I never got your name."

"Oh, yes!" she cried gently. Looking deep into his eyes, she said, "My name is Sarah." When she placed the spoon back into the pan for further stirring, a knock sounded from the front door. And before Hotch realised anything, she clang onto him for dear life with a silent shriek.

He laughed gently. "Don't worry, sweetheart. Let me see who it is." Laughing nervously, she apologetically let go; brave enough to continue the cooking while he went to the door. Slowly, so as not to startle her form the kitchen; he opened the door to a big surprise. "What are you guys doing here?" he asked.

Morgan, Reid, Prentiss, Garcia, Rossi and Strauss were at the door. "Well," Garcia started with her usual happiness in tone. "We all had decided that she was progressing so well with us that we would surprise her and, obviously we brought some clothes, shoes and everything for her."

Morgan nodded, "Yup, and we wanted to-" but he stopped himself. "Oh, what's the smell?" he asked.

"Yeah, I can smell it too!" said Rossi. "You cooking, Aaron?"

Hotch smiled. "Yes, and Sarah is helping too."

"Her name is Sarah?" Reid asked.

Hotch smiled even wider. "Yeah, why do you ask?"

Reid shrugged. "I don't know. I guess it's just a really pretty name."

"Okay, Pretty Boy; spill the crush and be done with it."

"What?! I haven't got a crush! That's a bad interpretation to suggest and I am not an ephebophile-!"

"Well, you sure aren't-!"

Straus interrupted them. "Anyway, we thought we would stop by and help out."

"Thank you guys, but I think it'd be best if she doesn't feel too crowded." said Hotch.

"Who is that, sir?" asked Sarah. "Is that everyone from earlier today?"

When Hotch saw the expressions; jaws hanging and as wide as their eyes, he knew he owed them an explanation. "She may or may not have gained a bit more confidence with me?" he said with uncertainty, eyebrows raised in hope that they won't force anything out of him.

"Oh my god..." said Garcia. "If that's a human voice than I am no longer Derek's Goddess..."

Hotch sighed and shifted to the left of the door to allow them through. "Please, come in. It's pretty cold out."


	7. She knew

**_Lenika; No esta seguro de cuando agregar Jack en esta historia. Si, va a estar aquiel tiempo, pero voy a ver como va primero._**

**_(English; Not sure when adding Jack in this story. Yes, he will be here in time, but I'll see how it goes first.)_**

**_And thank you everyone else who has reviewed, even the guests, if you would like to suggest some ideas personally but not through this site, contact me - cecechandler at outlook dot com. I would appreciate it very much. Lots of hugs and kisses! xxxxxxx - Chloe x _**

**_Also if you look out on this youtube link below, you may see the actual me performing and my twitter and email in the description box too!_**

**_https (colon) double slash www dot youtube dot com slash watch?v (equals) PhseEm4ooVY_**

* * *

><p>It was a rather awkward evening, a few questions and answers exchanged here and there but other than that it was complete silence except for the gentle breathing belonging each and every individual at the dinner table. Brief eye contact was made once or twice but the rest of the focus was on the food and trying not to break the peace. Reid was the most talkative person but he still knew when to say absolutely nothing in this type of atmosphere. Hotch felt the most alienated though; in his own house and at his own table to be precise. Is it possible to be a stranger in your own home? Hotch thought so. Yes, he still owed them an explanation but he wasn't sure on how to word it in a way that says he knew what he was doing. No, he didn't know what he was doing. He never had a daughter, let alone an older sibling for Jack when he had been with Haley. True, he always wanted a little girl, but the little boy made him feel more proud than any man could ever be.<p>

"Mhm!" someone coughed, turned out to be Reid. Everyone turned to the blushing doctor as he mumbled 'sorry' and turned back to finishing his food.

"Well," said Strauss, "I suppose Aaron better reveal his tricks."

"What tricks?" asked Hotch.

"Well, ninety-seven per cent of the cases we have worked with children with bonding issues don't normally just open up to someone in the first day, let alone the first six hours of being in the room with her." said Reid. "It usually takes about a week before we get a decent lead in the investigation and creating the profile."

"Reid's right, Hotch." said Morgan. "How did you do it? I know you're a father to Jack and all, but he's not even ten years old and you managed to open up a sixteen year old girl to you just be being in the room and making a promise."

Hotch looked to Rossi for some help, who shrugged in response. "They're right, Aaron." he said. "Spill."

"Look," Hotch started, "I don't know what you think it is, and neither do I, but I know that she trusts me enough to be open with me and you. But talking about her when she is the one you should be asking (with permission of course) is not a good thing if you really want to know what it is that makes me valuable to her."

"Sir?" a little voice squeaked. Hotch turned to Sarah and saw her pleading eyes.

"What is it, sweetie?" he asked with a heart-warm soothing in tone.

"Can I explain?" He nodded immediately. She smiled a little. "Everyone. The reason I knew I could trust him is because I knew him from my dreams."

"Your dreams?" questioned Emily.

Sarah nodded, "Yes. I'm not the average teenager as you may have already noticed. But that doesn't mean I have extraordinary dreams either, just ones that I know will happen. Whenever I conjure a face in my dream, it's because I will meet them in the future. Yes, seeing Mr Hotchner was a surprise to me, but I knew I could trust him because I met him before."

"How did you first meet him?" asked Reid.

"I don't know; he just came out of nowhere." was all she could say with a shrug. "How I knew I could trust him though, in the real world, was his eyes."

"What about them?" asked Morgan. "Everyone reveals themselves through them."

Sarah shook her head. "Not entirely true, some have to believe what they feel in order for it to be revealed by their eyes, even if they're lying to themselves. But I know Mr Hotchner is not like that. I saw a cracked soul; one by pain and grief and yet is so strong like steel in armour."

"You speak like you know from a religious experience." said Rossi. "You have this way with words. How do you know all this at your age even though you may have difficulties in certain aspects? I just don't get it."

"I don't think you probably will, Rossi." said Reid. "Some people are better at expressing themselves through words that can describe how they feel in an old-fashioned sense that earlier generations are more familiar with, and by doing so with her own understanding she is building depth for our benefit. Most teenagers avoid that because of wanting to differ away from the past and move on with their own language such as seen in text messaging like 'Lol' or 'rofl'."

Sarah nodded. "Thank you for explaining."

Reid blushed slightly, "You're welcome." Morgan smirked along with Garcia and they looked at each other with knowing looks. "And it's 'Spencer', by the way. But you can also call me 'Reid' if you want."

Sarah smiled and reached over, "Thank you." and she held his hand...

But as soon as she made contact with the bare skin, her eyes were wide; unblinking and she was frozen. A sharp intake of breath was made and Reid instantly felt ice travelling to his hand. "Huh?" was his mumble.

"Aaron?" questioned Strauss.

"What's going on?!" Morgan nearly yelled.

By the time they started truly panicking, Reid looked like he was about to faint from the cold but nothing shocked him or the rest of the team more than what was happening to Sarah. "What's happening?!" Reid cried in fear.

"Your suffering..." said Sarah. "Your pain... Oh, Spencer! The bullies... your father walking out on you... your mother... all of your pain... I can feel it... I feel everything..." With every word, her eyes changed shade of colour. No one knew how it was possible, but she also changed shade of skin; growing silver, glowing like a full moon. "The pain... all the pain..." she whispered one more time and when she next opened her eyes... all they could see was plain ice, no black in the middle or snowflake, just blue ice.

In shock, they all stood back in awe at the sight. Reid seemed to grow weaker and it wasn't long after that Morgan ripped him away from the icy grip that made him cringe. Reid suddenly inhaled and he blinked rapidly in shock, gripping everyone close to him for support. But that didn't stop the glowing from where Sarah still stood, but the glowing faded to the point where Sarah returned to her normal self. It was almost like nothing happened, but everyone saw it clearly.

The next thing anyone possibly knew, Sarah had fainted with a slow exhale of iced breath.

"Reid, what happened?!" asked Morgan.

"Come on, butter cream!" said Garcia. "Tell us!"

Reid turned to Garcia with eyes full of fear, "Oh my god... she knew about me..." he said. "I don't know how but... Somehow, she was in my memories."


End file.
